You can find numerous ways to double space in Word, concerning different prevalent versions throughout the world. However, it is quite an easy way to format your whole document or selected paragraph with increased spacing between your lines of text. If you intend how to double space in Word documents via a newer version, it has a much simpler and more noticeable way to do it.
Double Space is a commonly used formatting feature that you can easily apply to your chosen paragraphs and the entire document within a few mouse clicks or keyboard shortcuts for academic or business papers.
What Do You Mean by Double Spacing?
To be more precise, double Space adds up the visible Space within the text line of the document by an exact number of points. It creates additional padding in the text, thanks to which the user feels comfortable focusing on the document using double-spaced content.
It is quite pragmatic in the academic & professional writing style as standard for APA, MLA, Chicago, or others. Double-spaced documents better support the editing or add comments within extra spaces to facilitate the smoother reviewing of the manuscript.
Before discussing how to do it, let’s learn its essential information on what it is and why it is so advisable in the professional and academic formatting style.
DoubleSpacing enhances your document readability by increasing the between the text lines spaces. It helps the professionals, teachers, academics, or editors mark the paper or comment addition.
Implementing the double-spacing feature in your document significantly varies based on the version of Word you are using. Now, initiating our steps to apply double spaces for Office 2007-2010 and the newer version of Microsoft Word document.
Ways To Double Space in Your Word Document
Following are easily accessible ways to format the Word document like 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, and Office 356. However, you will find other ways to format your document that will be part of our discussion in the latter section.
- Spacing button
- Design Tab Menu
- Format Menu to customize the double space
Spacing Button
Word document offers convenient options to format the document using the automatic Ribbon tab, where one of the easily visible tools is “Line and Paragraph Spacing” in the Paragraph Section. It opens up the dropdown menu where you can choose your desired option on formatting your document as it demands.
Format Your Paragraph or document to Double Spacing
You can customize your paragraphs or document text using the Line spacing icon for different versions. For that,
- Highlight the paragraph you want to Double Space.
- Then click the “Line & Paragraph spacing” icon using the “Home”
- Then select “2.0”.
Double Space Your Document Using Style Tab
You can find a little different method for double Spacing in an older version of word 2007-2010. Follow the given process to double Space your entire document or specific paragraph.
- First, navigate the “Home” tab, wherein the styles section will help you customize your entire document double setting by default.
- Then you can easily right-click Normal to modify the paragraph settings.
- Next, you can click on the option “Double” Space the document in the formatting tab.
- Finally, click “OK” to confirm the double space setting.
Design Tab Menu
Design Menu is another option that offers to customize your entire by default. It has different style options that include the document themes, colors, fonts, and how to set the desired document spacing using condensed, relaxed, or double-spacing options.
How to Double Space Your Document in Newer Version Using Design Menu
Let’s get started with the newer version of Word.
- First, open the word document and select the Design tab at the top of the Word Document Main Menu.
- Then select the “ParagraphSpacing” icon.
- Next, select “Double” from the dropdown menu as PredefinedStylesSet.
Customize Your Manuscript Using Format Menu
You can opt for Format Menu for customizing your document using the text selection wherever you wish to apply your double space. Using the “Indent and Spacing” section, you select your option for line spacing from the dropdown menu. It appears once you right-click your mouse button.
Set Your Document Double Space Manually
If you want to set double Spacing for your document manually, you can opt for the given instructions, especially for the newer version of Word.
- Navigate the “Home” tab in your opened document.
- Then highlight or select the text or paragraph you’re willing to double Space in your document.
- Click on the diagonal arrow available at the bottom corner of the Paragraph Formatting
- Select the double-spacing option in the dropdown menu to create the extra space for selected paragraphs.
- Finally, confirm your setting by clicking “OK.”
Other Options for Double-Spacing your Manuscript
- Keyboard Shortcuts
- Modify or Create a Style Tab for double Spacing
- Use Page Layout for double space formatting
- Use Ctrl + Enter to double space for a new paragraph
While typing your document in Ms. Word, different formatting styles require various modifications. Changing your line spacing might slightly vary within different versions. To incorporate and adopt the changes, of course, demands users’ intuition to adapt to older versions. Using a keyboard shortcut can be an option that is a helpful tool that befits your situation.
Keyboard Shortcuts to Double Space in Word Document
Keyboard shortcuts are even quite handy to double space your document, paragraph, or selected text in the document. For that, use “Ctrl + 2”. If you are willing to change it to a single space, then use “Ctrl +1” or set it to 1.5 spacing by using “Ctrl + 5”.
Style Tab in Word 2007, 2010, and 2013 Versions
Modification using the Style tab is one of the options that help with quick formatting for your document in the 2007, 2010, and 2013 versions. You can change your text using the “Normal” option or create a new style to help you apply your double space formatting. For that, go through the modification option if you want to modify the given normal text to your requirements quite easily. However, another option suggests creating the new style option using “Create a Style.” You can even rename it whatever name you feel is feasible. Then opt for double space selection in the Formatting section.
Use Page Layout to Set Double Line spacing
Navigation to the page layout in older versions of Word like 2007, 2010, and 2013 support setting paragraphs for line spacings and indentations.
- For that, you can go through the “Page Layout” Menu.
- Then under the head of Page Setup, click the diagonal arrow that opens up the “Paragraph”
- Next, open the “Indents and Spacing tab” window. Here you can click the line spacing option using the drop-down arrow.
- Finally, click “OK” to confirm the document settings.
Double Space New Paragraph Using Ctrl+Enter
This is quite an essential tip that works in almost all versions of the Word documents like 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, and Office 365.
- You can press “Enter” to start a new paragraph. The document suggests default spacing between two paragraphs.
- You can opt for “Ctrl+Enter” to initiate the next page line without using a new paragraph.
We’ll wrap off our discussion with tools and suggestions on how to double space in Word documents, which should result in a much nicer and more professional presentation of your paper.